Spiked axes
Spiked axes or picks were one of the first kind of overhead weapons to be used in Robot Wars. They first appeared in Series 1, with two competitors - Killertron and Mortis - using a pickaxe and a 'tantō blade' to reach the Heat Final in their first appearances. Killertron would ultimately reach the Grand Final in Series 2 with this weapon, with Mortis reaching the Semi Finals in the same series and later winning the Series 4 War of Independence. Other notable robots with spiked axes include three-time Semi-Finalist Dominator 2, the Series 3-6 versions of X-Terminator, and double Dutch Series Grand Finalist Bamm Bamm. House Robot Shunt was also fitted with two types of spiked axe during his appearances, one of which also featured elements from bladed axes. Definition *'Spiked axes', as their name indicates, differ from bladed axes in that they typically feature a narrower head with a pointed tip with which the weapon puts all force behind it. This can vary from a simple pointed spike - such as those used by Dominator 2 and Kat 3 - to sharp blades like Shunt's diamond-edged axe and Mortis's 'tantō blade', and even double-headed pickaxes such as that wielded by Killertron. The purpose of spiked axes is to pierce holes through an opponent's armour, wheels or tracks, often reaching internal components and using the axe to drag them across the arena, as Dominator 2 and Killertron frequently demonstrated. When the axe was used to repeatedly punch holes through a robot's armour, the tactic was often referred to as 'pepper-potting', especially by Jonathan Pearce. Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages *Due to their narrow surface area, spiked axes could quickly and easily pierce through armour, wheels and tracks, especially in earlier series. As a result, they could cause major external and internal damage more quickly and effectively than other overhead weapons, sometimes resulting in an instant immobilisation. This was particularly demonstrated by Dominator 2's two-second knockout of Henry 2 in its Series 4 eliminator, where its first axe blow completely immobilised the latter. *Spiked axes could score highly on damage and aggression points when they were used to repeatedly strike - or 'pepper-pot' - opponents. Many victories by Mortis and Dominator 2 were attributed to both robots using their axes to cause damage - the highest scoring criteria in Judges' decisions - to their opponents. *If an axe-wielding robot sticks its axe into an opponent, it can use the leverage offered by the spiked axe head to drag opponents around the arena - as Dominator 2 regularly did - or even onto their sides or backs, as Killertron demonstrated against Behemoth in the Series 2 Semi-Finals. *As with their bladed counterparts, spiked axes could be used as effective self-righting mechanisms depending on their power, design and amount of leverage in the weapon mechanism. Dominator 2, Iron-Awe and the Series 7 version of Kat 3 were some of the most successful examples. *Spiked axes, as with other overhead weapons, could offer an effective weapon synergy with lifting, flipping or gripping weapons. Mortis' lifting arm, Shunt's scoop and Splinter's side arms are among some of the most notable and diverse examples. Disadvantages *In later series, spiked axes became generally less effective in penetrating through opponents, especially those which adopted tougher armour. This nullified their former advantage on damage potential, as demonstrated by Kat 3's inability to cause significant holes in Bulldog Breed's armour during their Series 7 Heat Final. Spiked axe heads could also blunt or break while striking armour that they are unable to pierce. For these reasons, bladed axes were far more prominent in the reboot of Robot Wars, where hardened steels proved very challenging to penetrate. *Spiked axes often have a very narrow range of attack, as most of them can only hit opponents which are directly in front of them. This often made them less accurate than bladed axes or hammers, although some, such as Killertron's pickaxe, were capable of swinging at 180 degrees and striking from both the robot's front and back, somewhat circumventing this issue. *Spiked axes can easily pierce the wooden arena floor of the classic series, getting the wielding robot stuck on the floor and rendering the robot immobile until its axe has retracted. Kat 3 and frenZy were particularly susceptible to this issue, although both robots would successfully free themselves and proceed to win battles where this occurred. *Most earlier spiked axes did not have the power to self-right without the use of a separate srimech. Killertron's defeats to Roadblock and Wheely Big Cheese were directly attributed to it being unable to re-right itself after getting flipped completely over, while Mortis was equipped with a lifting arm in later series which primarily acted as a srimech. Even some spiked axes from later series, such as the weapons of C.V. and Bamm Bamm, failed to self-right. *Opposing teams were welcome to modify their designs before a battle in an attempt to nullify axes, by applying additional armour to the top of their robots. *Much like their bladed counterparts, the axe shafts of spiked axes were susceptible to bending or even breaking due to various factors, including damage or metal fatigue. This most notably happened to Shunt's axe when it attempted to attack Eruption in the latter's fight with Cathadh during the World Series. List of Robots with Spiked Axes Robots are listed alphabetically. Robots which are not heavyweight entries are listed with a green background. House Robots are listed with a yellow background. Category:Weapon Types Category:Robots with Spiked Axes/Picks